Fifty odd years ago when I was taking HS chemistry, we (the nerds on the block...altho' that word wasn't yet in use) made our own July 4 fireworks. We made them from scratch, using charcoal, sulfur, magnesiun and various other elements for color and speed. We also formed our own paper tubes. We made beaucoup fountains and pinwheels, and about 2 dozen skyrockets emitting various colors. We would have made more except for a neighbor kid accidentally igniting a cupfull of powder we had just finished. While we were lucky the garage didn't burn down, we could not use it for several days as it was so acrid as to be uncomfortable to be inside. We had very few duds, and it was really cool to see our rockets rocketing into the Pacific Ocean at Playa del Rey, CA. I guess nowadays we might run afoul of Homeland Security. :>)